Unisex · #1,187 in 2026

Kristian

Kristian is a given name in several languages, and is a variant spelling of Christian.

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
Current Rank
#1,187
Peak Rank
#384 (1997)
Total Babies
21K
5-Yr Trend
-33%
👧 Girl peak #625 (7K total)
👦 Boy peak #384 (21K total)
👦As Boy Name
1942
First Year
2026
Last Year
1997
Peak Year
#384
Peak Rank
21K
Total Count
80
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1959
First Year
2026
Last Year
1990
Peak Year
#625
Peak Rank
7K
Total Count
66
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Kristian

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Kristian is a given name in several languages, and is a variant spelling of Christian.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Bulgarian
  • Czech
  • Slovak

The Story of Kristian

As a girl name

The earliest SSA record of Kristian as a girl name dates back to 1959, when 5 babies received it. 1990 was its biggest year on record, with 357 newborns named Kristian — #625 in the national rankings. About 39% of every Kristian on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kristian ranks #7,487 for girls with 14 births, falling sharply (-39%). All told, over 7K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

Kristian first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1942, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1997: 614 births, good for #389 nationwide. About 27% of every Kristian on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Kristian ranks #1,187 for boys with 173 births, falling sharply (-33%). All told, over 21K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Kristian

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Kristian. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Names that sound like Kristian

Phonetically similar names — useful when Kristian is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Kristian

What does the name Kristian mean?
Kristian is a given name in several languages, and is a variant spelling of Christian.
What is the origin of the name Kristian?
Kristian has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Bulgarian, Czech, Slovak.
How popular is Kristian in 2026?
In 2026, Kristian ranks #1,187 among boys' names in the U.S., with 173 babies given the name that year.
When was Kristian most popular?
Kristian reached its peak popularity in 1997, ranking #384 that year with 614 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Kristian most popular?
Kristian has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Alaska. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Kristian.
Is Kristian a unisex name?
Yes — Kristian is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 25% of Kristians assigned female and 75% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Kristian?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Kristian include Wheeler, Pierce, Rollie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Kristian?
Common variants and related forms of Kristian include Chris, Christen, Christian, Hristiyan, Hristo, Kris. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Kristian

Kristian is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1942 and has accumulated 21K births in the dataset. Kristian's peak popularity came in 1997 when it ranked #384. Use the chart and map above to compare Kristian's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.